Silvermoon City
|Row 5 title = Former Rulers: |Row 5 info = |Row 6 title = Languages: |Row 6 info = Thalassian Common Orcish Zandali Taurahe Goblin Shalassian |Row 7 title = Faiths: |Row 7 info = Holy Light Demonology Cult of Belore (Minority) |Row 8 title = Affiliations: |Row 8 info = |Row 9 title = Location: |Row 9 info = Northern Eversong Woods |Row 10 title = Status: |Row 10 info = Healthy}}The crown jewel of the blood elves is their capital of Silvermoon City (aka Silvermoon), nestled in the Eversong Woods in their ancestral lands of Quel'Thalas. At the northernmost tip of the Eastern Kingdoms, the beauty of the spires and thoroughfares of Silvermoon stand in stark contrast to the Dead Scar, the tainted path that Arthas tore through the city in his quest for power. Though nearly destroyed by Arthas' attack on the Sunwell, Silvermoon is once again a thriving city. Most recently, the rebirth of the Sunwell has lifted spirits among the elves, and they have continued to heal Silvermoon's scars in the hopes of returning their beloved capital to its former glory, the western half of it still being in ruins since the Third War. =History= ---- The city of Silvermoon was founded by the exiled Highborne under the leadership of Dath'Remar Sunstrider, who had traveled to the northern forests of Lordaeron seeking a new homeland thousands of years ago. Using a stolen vial from the Well of Eternity, Dath'Remar created the sacred Sunwell, a fount of arcane power that would be inherently tied to his people for generations to come. He led the Highborne in the magical construction of their new capital, raising its spires and buildings with their great magical power. The city was constructed primarily out of white stone and living plants in the style of the ancient Kaldorei empire and interwoven with the natural topography of the landscape. The Highborne, now calling themselves the high elves, thus founded the kingdom of Quel'Thalas, with Silvermoon City as its crowning jewel. The country was enchanted to remain in a state of perpetual springtime. Silvermoon itself was constructed over the site of sacred troll grounds, which earned the elves further enmity from the neighboring Amani Tribe. Ruled by the Sunstrider dynasty and the Convocation of Silvermoon (the highest elven lords in Quel'Thalas), the ruling body of the high elves was also based here. Silvermoon became renowned for its grand libraries and seats of magical learning. Strengthened by a Sunwell-empowered shield named Ban'dinoriel ("Gatekeeper" in Thalassian) which interconnected at ley lines throughout the land, Silvermoon was well-protected from would-be invaders. The elves constructed all manners of arcane indulgences over the years, including runestones to protect their lands, crystals to power their experimentations, and brooms that constantly sweep their streets, which would be useful if anyone could figure out how to make them stop. Silvermoon City stood strong for millennia in the face of several conflicts within Quel'Thalas. The Troll Wars, perpetrated by the vengeful Amani empire (whom the high elves had banished after their exodus to Quel'Thalas), was among the first. Silvermoon established a long-lasting friendship with Dalaran after the war's climax, which lasted for over 2,000 years. Due to their considerable lifespans, it was not uncommon for elves to study magic in Dalaran as well as Silvermoon (some elves claim to have spent several human lifetimes in service to both), though the reverse was less true: Silvermoon gained a reputation for isolationism over the years, a consensus emerging among many high elves that exposing the humans to magic was a mistake, to begin with. From its founding to the Third War (a period of roughly 7,000 years), Silvermoon had never fallen. =Second War= ---- During the Second War, the Amani entered into an alliance with the Old Horde, on the condition that the orcs help displace the elves from Quel'Thalas. Silvermoon itself has left relatively unscathed thanks to Ban'dinoriel, which erected a magical barrier over the city making it impervious to the Horde's dragon fire, though the trolls launched a heavy offensive into Eversong and in some cases came close to the capital. The city also had the protection the runestones provided, whose mysteries proved difficult even for the practiced orc warlocks to decipher. The Amani had spent many years trying to torture information regarding the runestones out of captured elves in the hope of using them to subvert Silvermoon's defenses, to no avail. King Anasterian held court in Sunstrider Spire, the stage where he and the Convocation swore to end the Amani remnants once and for all. Furthermore, Anasterian reluctantly pledged Silvermoon's strength to the Alliance of Lordaeron, due in part to Lord Anduin Lothar collecting on the debt Anasterian owed his bloodline from the Troll Wars. With the aid of Alliance forces, the elves pushed the invaders back from Silvermoon and successfully dispersed the orcs and Amani. Despite this victory, the high elves and their allies entered into a period of mutual coldness after the war's end. Seeing little value in remaining part of the Alliance (and reasoning that the Alliance needed his people more than his people needed the Alliance), Anasterian seceded his nation on the grounds of poor leadership on the humans' end, which he claimed led to unnecessary violence within his borders. Silvermoon thus went back into seclusion, its people issued with edicts to enforce this withdrawal. =Third War= ---- Main article: Scourge Invasion of Quel'Thalas Silvermoon remained relatively peaceful for years following the Second War, though this was not to last. Named the Scourge, a massive undead army under the command of Arthas Menethil, fresh from laying Lordaeron to waste, marched to Quel'Thalas in order to defile the Sunwell. After tearing through Eversong and overcoming the Farstriders' attempts to hold back his advance, Arthas and his armies reached Silvermoon and demanded the elves open their gates and allow him passage. Refusing to surrender, Silvermoon's defenders rallied under the command of Grand Magister Belo'vir, who took over the defense of Silvermoon in the fallen Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner's place. The archers, magi, priests, and dragonhawks did what they could to ward off the undead, though they were faced with impossible odds. With the help of the great traitor Dar'Khan Drathir, Arthas successfully dispelled Ban'dinoriel and left Silvermoon vulnerable to attack. Knowing the city would not hold for much longer, Belo'vir had Archmage Rommath evacuate as many civilians as he could, and the remaining soldiers left to make a stand with King Anasterian and the bulk of the Magisters on the Isle of Quel'Danas. Silvermoon fell soon after their departure. The city was sacked, overrun with undead, and set ablaze. Its fires and smoke could be seen from Quel'Danas. Arthas succeeded in his goal, defiling the Sunwell and bringing forth the lich Kel'Thuzad from its tainted remains. With no more reason to linger, he left Quel'Thalas in ruins, leaving behind large pockets of undead with an undead Dar'Khan for a commander. The war's outcome was devastating: 90% of the high elves had been slain, including King Anasteriasn, Belo'vir, Sylvanas, and the entire Convocation. Ranger Lord Lor'themar Theron gathered as many survivors as he could, and took over part of Silvermoon (The Bazaar) to serve as a point of congregation for others who had survived the attack. Rommath also soon returned to search for the living, clearing out groups of Scourge with his powerful magic. =Rise of the Blood Elves= ---- Following the decimation of the Quel'dorei, Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider rushed back to his people in Quel'Thalas. Arriving in Silvermoon, Kael paid his respects to his father -- whose body had been returned to the city -- and organized a strike team of fighters to help destroy the tainted Sunwell, now pulsating with tainted energies that threatened to destroy both the elves and land itself. Returning to Silvermoon triumphantly, Kael renamed his people the "Sin'dorei" in honor of their many fallen brethren. Their fallen king, Anasterian, was cremated on a funeral pyre in The Bazaar. Kael took several of his most powerful followers to do battle with the Scourge in Lordaeron and commanded the great ranger Lor'themar Theron to safeguard the kingdom in his absence and to find a cure for the elves' innate addiction to magic, which had become apparent in the wake of the well's destruction. The blood elves back in Quel'Thalas made little progress with this goal, drained and exhausted without the Sunwell for sustenance. The already overstretched Farstriders also made a little dent in the remaining Scourge pockets. However, this one-sided struggle was soon to take an unexpected turn. =Reclamation= ---- Following the events of The Sunwell Trilogy, Lor'themar Theron and Halduron Brightwing were approached by a contingent of magisters sent back to Quel'Thalas on the order of Kael'thas. Led by Rommath, the magi shared with their people the radical new teachings advocated by Kael'thas (and by extension, Illidan Stormrage), leading to the weary blood elves becoming reinvigorated. Under Rommath's command, the magisters quickly went about reclaiming and rebuilding much of Silvermoon City "almost overnight," their great magical powers making quick work of the Scourge. Silvermoon City was reconstructed in an elaborate manner, once more becoming a beacon of magic and power in the Eastern Kingdoms. The towering spires of Silvermoon rose skyward once again, and the entire eastern section of Silvermoon has been wholly reclaimed by the Sin'dorei. The western portion, however, remains lost for the time being, though the blood elves have recently turned their attention to healing it too. A great deal of demonic energy has been used to fully empower the city. Chained crystals, full to the top with harnessed magic, now dot the city and power up all the various magical contrivance, including many floating spires and castles. Since the blood elves are cut off from the rest of civilization by the dangerous Plaguelands, an Orb of Translocation has been made connecting Silvermoon to Undercity. Silvermoon is ruled by the Regent Lord of Quel'Thalas, Lor'themar Theron, who holds court with the ranger-general of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing and the Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas, Rommath. Silvermoon also housed an imprisoned Naaru named M'uru for a time, whose powers were drained by the magisters in order to empower the Blood Knights under Lady Liadrin's command. However, this was not to last: Prince Kael'thas, who had sworn loyalty to the Burning Legion, briefly attacked Silvermoon with his felblood servitors and stole M'uru from the Hall of Blood. Magically-automated guardians constantly remind everyone in the city of the blood elves' leader and savior, Prince Kael'thas, by reciting lines of carefully-worded propaganda. This helps prevent the blood elven denizens of the city from forgetting to whom they owe their absolute loyalty. However, when Kael'thas has betrayed his people, the Arcane Guardians have been changed to reflect Kael'thas' betrayal and give propaganda referring to Lor'themar Theron as the savior of the blood elves instead. Additionally, Silvermoon City Guardians critiqued by Champion Vranesh no longer praise Kael'thas as the "Sun King." =Mists of Pandaria= ---- An artifact from Pandaria was shipped to Silvermoon by Garrosh Hellscream, who tasked the blood elves with learning more of it. Members of the Horde are sent to Silvermoon to correspond with Lor'themar Theron himself, who had set Grand Magister Rommath to the task of deducing its modus operandi. Lor'themar also called in the leader of the Sunreavers, Aethas Sunreaver, to lend his aid to the experiment, which nearly resulted in a sha being released in the city. It was stored under the Hall of Blood, where several of Rommath's magisters (once seen draining M'uru) were magically probing it. In a conversation with the player, Rommath confirmed that the fel crystals (the green crystals) once around Silvermoon have since been removed. Later, following the Purge of Dalaran, the escaped Sunreavers were funneled back to the safety of Silvermoon. A portal was created between the city and the Dawnseeker Promontory on the Isle of Thunder. =Legion Invasion= ---- During the Burning Legion's third invasion, portals were created between Silvermoon and Suramar. The blood elven forces arrived to Meredil from the city. Silvermoon and Suramar maintained good relations following the nightborne rebellion and Thalyssra's rise to power. Lor'themar, seeing much in common between the sin'dorei and shal'dorei kingdoms, invited their new leader to Silvermoon for a visit; Thalyssra soon after pledged Suramar to the Horde. The regent also entertained Alleria Windrunner, who had come in an attempt to convince Silvermoon to leave the Horde and ally with the Alliance, but this offer was rejected. Alleria instead sought out exiles from Silvermoon who had been banished for dabbling in the void, which the blood elf leaders consider a threat to the Sunwell. =Blood War= ---- Each year, Silvermoon holds a ceremony of remembrance for those who fell during the Scourge invasion. Lor'themar summoned a sin'dorei champion to undertake it, taking a lantern imbued with the light of the Sunwell to key locations throughout the kingdom to reenact the defense of Quel'Thalas and honor the sacrifices made in its darkest hour. The ceremony begins and ends in Silvermoon, where champions are awarded the heritage of the sin'dorei regalia by the regent lord. Category:Kingdom of Quel'Thalas Category:Places Category:Cities Category:Silvermoon City Locations Category:Eversong Woods Locations